Toy aeroplane roundabout



D c- 25, 1956 H. BILLER 2,775,453

TOY AEROPLANE ROUNDABOUT F iled Aug. 28, 1953 INVENTOR HANS BILLER BY @1092. Q

ATTORNEY Claims priority, 7 Claims. (Cl. 272- 31) I The invention relates to an aeroplane toy with at ,least one aircraft flying around an axis of rotation. It is characterized in that the aeroplane during its flight changes its altitude, preferably by means of a carrier element extending radially to the axis of rotation and which is capable of swinging upwardlyand downwardly.

Whereas in the known aeroplanetoys the aeroplane always circles around its axis of rotation only, the invention brings the advantage that the child playing with the toy can determine the path of flight of the aeroplane as regardsaltitude. It can cause it to rise higher or to descend in a glide path. On account of .this possibility of activity, the new toy aeroplane possesses an inducement to play. Furthermore, this object-i s attained in a progressive and constructionally simple manner.

The carrier element of the aeroplane consists, according to the invention, of two parallel rods, which at one end are pivotally attached to the aeroplane and at the other end pivot on a support member rotatable around the axis of rotation, preferably on a rotary disk or turntable driven at a distance from its center and having a central aperture for the passage therethrough of the actuating lever for effecting the upward and downward swinging movement of the carrier element. Consequently the carrier element can be actuated in any position of rotation to vary the altitude of the aeroplane.

According to another feature of the invention, the actuating lever consists of an arm capable of movingupwalrdly and downwardly. The free end of this arm cooperates with a rocking member, preferably similar to a balance beam. This rocking member and the shaft for driving the rotary disk are accommodated in a housing, which is relatively long compared with its width and forms the take-01f and landing runway for the aeroplane. The housing has at one end above the rotary disk a cover in the form of a dome, tower or the like, and at its opposite end carries, for example on the end wall, the operating handles for the clockwork mechanism and for the rocking member.

Other features and advantages of the invention are hereinafter described with reference to the accompanying drawing, in which one form of construction is illustrated by way of example.

In the drawing- Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the toy in accordance with the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the housing with the bottom plate removed, and

Fig. 3 is a part longitudinal section taken on line 3-3 'of Fig. 2.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like reference numerals are used throughout the various views to designate like parts, reference numeral designates a housing which in the illustrated embodiment is of rectangular shape and relatively long as compared to the width thereof. A driving mechanism 11 of any conventional type is located within the housing 10 near ice one end wall thereof. This driving mechanism 11 can be stopped and released by means of a swivel lever 12. In addition thereto, various running speeds may be obtained by the use of a conventional change-speed gear generally designated in the drawing by reference numeral 35 which is driven by the drive mechanism 11. The change-speed gear 35 includes a transmission output shaft 13 on which is fixedly mounted a toothed gear wheel 14 which projects through an opening 15 in the cover of the housing 10 and meshes with a series ofapertures 17 provided in the rotary disk 16. The apertures 17 are arranged along a circular path concentric to the axis of rotation of the rotary disk 16.

The rotary disk 16 carries a support member on which a vertical wall 18 forming two parallel rods 19 and 1 19 are pivotally mounted at one end thereof. The rods said carrier means includes two 19 and 19' form a carrier element of the parallelogram type for the toy aeroplane 20 which is hinged to the outer ends of the rods 19 and 19. The rotary disk 16 and the parts mounted thereon are enclosed by a cover 21 which, in the illustrated embodiment, is in the form of a dome but might also represent a tower or the like.

The carrier rods 19 and 19' are connected to the vertical wall 18 forming the support member at 22 and 22 respectively at at 23 and 23' respectively at the other end thereof. At least one of these rods 19 and 19 has an extension 24 linked to an arm 25 which in turn is movable upwardly and downwardly. The arm 25 in turn is actuated by a rocking member 26 her or lever 26 is controlled by a crank-like element 28 provided at the end of a pivot pin 29 carrying an actuating handle 30.

The arm 25 extends through a central aperture 31 in the rotary disk 16. The arm 25 can be actuated irrespectively of the position of the disk 16 and also of the rocking movement of the carrier 19, 19'. Consequently, the aeroplane 20 can be made to fly higher or lower during its circular flight, i. e., the angle formed by the carrier can be adjusted during rotation thereof.

A spring 32 is preferably provided to assist the upward movement of the arm 19 and to counteract the weight of the aeroplane 20.

I claim:

1. An aeroplane toy comprising a toy aeroplane, carrier means for said top aeroplane, means drivingly connected with the inner end of said carrier means for selectively rotating said carrier means about a stationary axis to thereby rotate said aeroplane by rotation of said carrier means, said carrier means extending radially from said axis and being oscillatable in a vertical plane passing through said axis, means for pivotally securing said toy aeroplane to the outer end of said carrier means about a pivot axis extending at right angle to said vertical plane and parallel to the vertical central longitudinal plane of said aeroplane and with the longitudinal axis of said toy aeroplane substantially perpendicular to said plane, and means connected to said carrier means for selectively varying the angle of said carrier means relative to said axis and therewith the height of said toy aeroplane, whereby said toy aeroplane may rise and descend independently of the rotation thereof about said axis to simulate the take-ofi and landing of a helicopter type aeroplane, said connection between said carrier means and said lastmentioned means being such as to enable adjustment of said angle with respect to said axis while said carrier means rotates as well as while said carrier means is stationary.

2. An aeroplane toy as set forth in claim 1, wherein parallel rods pivotally connected to said toy aeroplane at the outer end thereof one end thereof and to the aeroplane 20 which is oscillatable or rockable about a transverse shaft or pin 27. The rocking memand located one above the other in said first-mentioned vertical plane, and further comprising 'a support member on which the inner ends of said rods are pivotally mounted.

3. An aeroplane toy as set forth in claim 2, wherein said means for selectively rotating said carrier means includes a rotatable disk member carrying said support member, means for rotating said disk member at a point remote from said axis, said disk member being provided with a central aperture, and wherein said means for selectively varying the height includes an operating lever extending through said aperture to actuate said carrier means.

4. An aeroplane toy as set forth in claim 1, wherein said carrier means includes two parallel rods pivotally connected to said toy aeroplane at the outer ends thereof and located one above the other in said first-mentioned vertical plane, and wherein said means for selectively rotating said carrier means includes a rotatable disk element provided with a series of concentrically arranged apertures, a gear wheel operatively engaging the apertures of said rotatable disk element to thereby rotate said disk element by rotation of said gear wheel, a clockwork mechanism drivingly connected to said gear wheel, and a supporting member mounted on said disk element, said rods being pivotally connected with said support member-along the inner ends thereof.

5. An aeroplane toy as set forth in claim 1, wherein said means for selectively varying the height includes an operating lever consisting of a vertically oscillatable arm, means for connecting one end of said vertically oscillatable arm to said carrier means, and a manually operable rocking member connected to the other end of said arm to determine the angle or" said carrier means by movement of said rocking member in one or the other direction.

.and located one above the other in said first-mentioned vertical plane, and wherein said means for rotating said carrier means includes a rotatable disk element provided with apertures arranged concentrically with said axis, a supporting member canried by said disk element and pivotally connected to the inner ends of said rods, and means engaging said apertures for driving said disk element, and further comprising a rectangular housing of relatively greater length than width constituting the take-01f and landing strip for said aeroplane, a cover for said rotatable disk element located along one end of said housing near the narrower side thereof, said driving means being located near'the other end-of said housing opposite said cover, and actuating handles at one-end wall of said housing for controlling said driving means and the means for selectively varying the height.

References-Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,450,278 Cave Apr. 3, 1923 2,510,169 vCaler June 6, 1950 2,584,113 Butler Feb. 5, 1952 2,699,334 Pettit Jan. 11, 1955 p 

